Keys to Living Well, Feeling Great & Enjoying Life

Work in an office?
Noticing that your shoulders have rounded over time?Wondering what exercises you can do while sitting at your desk?

Here are the three exercises to try:

#1- Opening Up Your Collar Bones

Sit nice and tall opening up your collar bones, relaxing, then moving into being nice and tall again. Repeat a few times every few hours.
Start by holding for 5 seconds, then when that feels ok increase to 10, 15, then 20 seconds.
Aim to work the muscles around your shoulder blade and mid back.
Feel a light stretch in your chest.
Stretching chest which becomes short and tight and strengthening mid back area – around shoulder blades and the upper back muscles that become weak with a rounded back posture.

Sit nice and tall.
Lace your fingers, arms are straight over head as high as possible.
Bring your arms back down again.
This time hold for 2 or 3 seconds only.
Aim to stretch your lats area, around shoulder blades and thoracic extensors in mid to upper back.

Repeat these 3 quick and easy exercises a few times each day to gradually rebalance muscle and improve your posture.

Almost a quarter of men living alone have contact with their children less than once a month, compared with 15 per cent of older women

Don’t let this happen to your Dad – encourage him him to join a Seniors Activity group or a Sports Club.

By EMILY DUGAN
Monday 13 October 2014
Britain’s men are facing a future blighted by rising levels of loneliness and “social isolation”, new research suggests.
By 2030 the number of older men living alone is expected to rise by two-thirds, according to a study by Independent Age and the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK).
According to the research, more than 1.2 million men over 50 in England say they suffer from isolation. Men are more likely than women to experience loneliness as they get older because they have significantly less contact with children, family and friends than women, academics discovered.
Almost a quarter of men living alone have contact with their children less than once a month, compared with 15 per cent of older women. Men’s social networks often decline after the death of a partner because women tend to do more to organise and encourage their social life, researchers found.
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age, said: “It’s alarming to think there are growing numbers of lonely older men who may be facing a future alone and without proper support. This new evidence suggests men and women experience social isolation and loneliness in different ways.
“In general, men rely more heavily on their partner to remain socially connected. When their partner dies, often a man’s social life shrinks.”
The number of older men living alone is rising. By 2030 projected numbers in England and Wales are 1.5 million, an increase of 65 per cent.
The rise is partly because men are living longer and healthier lives, meaning more now outlive their partners. Between 2001 and 2011 the number of males over 85 widowed grew by a third, according to the Office for National Statistics. But there is also a generation entering old age who are more likely to have never married or suffered marital breakdown.
Baroness Sally Greengross, chief executive of ILC-UK, said: “Health services and GPs can play an important role in outreach by identifying patients most at risk and providing support in partnership with the voluntary sector. Statutory bodies should also work with the voluntary sector to develop low-cost innovations to encourage older men to support each other through the creation of clubs and other social programmes.
“Professional bodies should also consider creating post-retirement clubs for their workforce, particularly in male-dominated industries. These could have the potential to keep older men socially connected in post-work life, as well as offering support at certain later-life events, such as widowerhood, that can impact older men’s exposure to isolation and loneliness.”
Experts believe the latest research suggests more needs to be done to tailor help towards men. Laura Ferguson, director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: “Charities across the nation struggle to find, and engage with, lonely older men. With social isolation and loneliness posing a serious risk to their health, local activities must be more tailored to suit men’s interests and needs.”
Body image: price of perfection
Body anxiety is so widespread across the UK that 16 million Britons are depressed because of the way they look, figures suggest. The research comes from campaign group Be Real: Body Confidence for Everyone, which launches this week.
The pressure of trying to achieve an unrealistic “ideal body” traps millions of people in the UK in an unhealthy cycle of depression, short-term dieting, cosmetic intervention and eating disorders according to the group.
Polling of over 2,000 people carried out by Be Real suggests that 18 million people do not exercise because of body anxiety. One in four people say body image has held them back from a fulfilling relationship, and one in five have avoided going for a job for the same reason.

Through the 90’s the food fad was low fat, sadly even though it didn’t work as a weight loss plan, the diet industry began to produce lots of low fat foods, the rest of food manufacturers followed along.
Press releases and magazine articles based on them re-in forced the idea that at was bad.
Our NHS took evidence from studies, which were faulty, miss-interpreted and at worst, misleading.

So, Rosemary Connolly, the UK Queen of the low fat diet, jumped on board and the spiral into illness and an obese population was on it’s way. To this day many people think low fat is the best way to avoid CHD, Stroke, High Blood Pressure and elevated Cholesterol. Of course this cannot be true – as dietary fat, especially saturated fat will not always effect your cholesterol level. Just as cholesterol levels will not always lead to heart disease and stroke.

Now, times are changing. More and more people are realizing the importance of fat in the diet – good fat that is.

When adding fat into your diet plan, which you should do to maintain optimal health, you must choosing the correct sources.

Chosen unwisely, fat will not only contribute to a body weight and composition problem, but it could put your health at stake as well.

I really want to help you forget all the Lo fat nonsense of the last 30 years and re- learn what your grand parents knew – how to make meals from real food, to eat meat, dairy, fresh vegetables and enjoy very occasional sweet/fatty treats.

So, let’s talk about FATS…..

Fish Oil – The King Of Fats

If there’s one type of dietary fat that you definitely want to be taking in, omega fatty acids are it. Omega fats, which are commonly found in fatty sources of fish (such as salmon and sardines), walnuts, and flaxseeds (along with fish oil supplements), are going to ensure that your body grows and develops as it should be.

These fats are considered essential because your body will not produce them on its own so without an intake through the diet, you’re going to be falling short.

Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids can help to prevent a number of different diseases including arthritis, heart disease and some forms of cancer all while helping to keep your cholesterol level in check.

Omega fats, in a ratio of 1:1 Omega3 to Omega 6, can also boost your level of insulin sensitivity, which will go a long way towards encouraging a leaner overall body composition.

You should avoid adding Omega 6 as they are linked to increased inflammation.

Olive Oil – A Secret Of The Mediterranean Diet

If you’ve ever heard of the Mediterranean diet approach before, you know that at the heart of it is olive oil. People of this area consume diets that are very rich on olive oil and suffer some of the lowest rates of health issues worldwide.

Olive oil is known as an unsaturated fat and will not only prevent heart disease, but also help to keep cholesterol levels in a healthy range and ward off cancer.

It’s essential that you don’t heat olive oil over its smoke point (around 210C) however, as this can cause it to break down and produce free radicals that will then damage your health.

I like to use Olive Oil as a dressing to already cooked food – that way you get the goodness, the flavour and no nasties.

Coconut Oil – The Hidden Healthy Fat

Another fat that must be mentioned is coconut oil. Most people would recognize this as an unhealthy fat as it’s considered to be of the saturated variety. But don’t be fooled, coconut oil is actually a very healthy and is considered a medium chain fatty acid. These fatty acids react differently in the body than most and can actually be broken down and used as a fuel source immediately rather than being stored directly as body fat tissue like longer chain fatty acids are, which are found in plant based oils. ( avoid ALL plant based fats- margarine, cooking oils etc).

Adding coconut oil to your daily diet can help to increase your metabolic rate and promote faster overall weight loss, so if you’re serious about getting lean, get some and use it.
It also has anti-fungal properties, can help to enhance your energy level and endurance, and also offers antioxidant support.

I cook with coconut oil all the time as it can be heated to high temperatures without harming the oil. You cab even buy oil that’s has no coconut flavour; however I find when cooking meats the coconut flavour can be a great addition.

It makes a great moisturiser too – visit your local West Indian or Asian store for great bargain prices compared to Supermarkets.

Canola Oil – The Fat On Your Banned List

Finally, to finish off our discussion of fats, we must make note of one that you should be avoiding at all costs – canola oil. The issue with canola oil is that it’s heavily processed and contains trans fatty acids, which are extremely detrimental to your health and well-being.

The body has absolutely no requirement for these trans fats and you should eliminate them from your diet altogether.

In addition to this, canola oil is very unstable when under heat, light, and pressure, and can cause oxidization to take place, creating free radicals in the body. This then puts you at risk for a wide number of diseases including cancer, heart disease, and may also lead to a greater likelihood of weight gain.

So, I’d like you to check your pantry – remove all vegetable oils and spreads, margarine and low fat sprays. Then replace them with olive oil for dressings, coconut oil for cooking and real – grass fed- butter for everything else!

Eat Better – Feel Better

Jax

NOTE : many studies show that supplementing with 5 or more grams of fish oil (Omega3) – NOT cod liver oil will help you drop body fat and gain many health benefits – try it for 2 weeks and notice the changes in your skin, digestion, mood, joints and mental acuity. ! J

It’s Cold & Flu season so here are the 10 Worst Things for Your Immune System in hopes that you would do your best to avoid the bugs and stay healthy this winter. 🙂

Here we go:

1. Processed foods
An overburdened digestive system steals energy from your immune system, leaving the immune system operating on “less cylinders.” To unburden your digestive system, eat as few processed foods as possible. This will restore power to your immune system.

2. Insufficient sleep
Sleep is a time for the body to recharge. A study from the University of Chicago showed that men who slept 4 hours a night after one week had half the number of serum flu-fighting antibodies as did men who slept 7.5 – 8.5 hours.

3. Pessimism
Though some people seem to be born either pessimistic or optimistic, make efforts to think like an optimist. A UCLA study showed that optimistic law students at the beginning of their first semester had more immune system cells by mid-semester, than did students who were pessimistic.

Though it seems obvious that optimists take better care of themselves, the researchers have not ruled out a physiological basis for this disparity.

4. Locking in emotions
Keeping emotions bottled up can suppress the action of the immune system’s killer T cells. On the other hand, unleashing emotions with a nasty fury has been shown to result in fewer killer T cells.

So while it’s bad to sit and stew, it’s also bad to throw temper tantrums. Find a happy medium…
Use your transformation journal!

For example, leave for work 10 minutes earlier so that slow-movement in bottleneck traffic isn’t as unnerving.

6. Use Your Own Pen
(Use sanitising gel after chip& pin)
Avoid touching community-handled objects such as pens at the grocery store, bank, doctor’s office, etc. Communal pens are loaded with germs. Have your own pen on you at all times. The handle of a shopping cart is also very germy; rather than push here, pull it at the other end; fewer hands have been there. Yes, you will get a few funny looks! When it’s colder wear trendy gloves!

7. Insufficient exercise Doh!
You know I had to mention it. ;-b
Rigorous bouts of exercise toughen up the immune system. If you’re a local reader who wants to try us out, contact me for a 7 day FREE trial. If you’re not in the CHELTENHAM area, follow my blogs http://www.jaxallenfitness.comhttp://www.superseniorssolutionsuk.com
And friend me on Facebook – Jax Allen and you can join or follow the groups that interest you.

While we’re talking exercise consider using washable training gloves and yoga socks or your own exercise mat! Just watch the cleaning regime in your gym – handles, seats, mats should be sprayed and wiped down or better still steam cleaned – but I know it doesn’t happen!
Ps I have a cleaning contract for my studio exercise mats. Plus anti bacterial spray for kit. Even a supply of washable gloves !

8. Exposure to secondhand smoke
Forbid people to light up in your car or house. Avoid being near smokers outside. Secondhand smoke is truly a health hazard and can cripple your immune system, killing around 3,000 nonsmokers a year with lung cancer, and resulting in 300,000 childhood cases a year of lower respiratory-tract infections.

9. Misuse of antibiotics
Some people who take antibiotics have diminished levels of cytokines, which are important components of your immune system. When you are prescribed antibiotics, use them immediately and finish the entire prescription. Don’t ask for antibiotics, if you need them ur GP will suggest them and then complete the course. Also, while you should always take a probiotic, you may want to double up when you’re taking antibiotics.

10. Being a gateway to pathogens
Many people get sick simply because they put a finger to their eye, nose, mouth or ear–portals through which microscopic villains enter the body. Resolve not to touch these portals while in public. Pick your nose at home. LOL!

If an eye or your nose itches, then place a tissue or napkin between your finger and skin to scratch the area. Be aware of how often your fingers are at your mouth as you read something in public like a restaurant menu (another very germy communal object).

Although it will be challenging to make these adjustments, keep at it, and over time, they’ll become second nature.

The simple egg is a neat nutritional powerhouse that has been called ‘nature’s multivitamin’ because they’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, and it’s all stored in one very convenient package. Here are five reasons why you should be eating more eggs.

They help you stay slim
Eggs are very high in protein meaning that they help you stay full for longer. A study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that overweight adults who ate two eggs for breakfast went on to eat fewer calories throughout the day, compared to those who ate the same amount of calories in bagels. Eating eggs for breakfast will ward off those hunger pangs until it’s time for lunch.

They’re nutritional sunshine
Vitamin D is vital for all of us and has many benefits including cancer prevention, developing healthy bones and even improving your mood. We tend to rely on the sunshine for vitamin D, but the UK weather means that 50% of us sun-starved island dwellers could be deficient. Eggs are one of the only food sources of vitamin D, making them nutritional sunshine.

They make you beautiful
Eggs are packed with keratin, a protein that makes up 70% of your hair, and is vital for the growth and repair of every cell in your body. Keratin helps your hair and nails grow strong and healthy, and helps to keep you looking young and beautiful. You don’t just have to eat your eggs to benefit either – putting egg directly onto your hair can help repair and condition it.

They’re good brain food
As we age, our brains start to shrink which is a phenomenon known as brain atrophy and can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Eggs are full of vitamin B12 and lecithin, which can fight brain atrophy. The yolk is full of choline, a nutrient that makes acetylcholine, a messenger that communicates between the brains and the nerves, and is also great for your memory.

They’re incredibly versatile
Selenium, folate, pantothenic acid, vitamins B12, A, E and D, iodine, phosphorous, iron, thiamine, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin: this list of good stuff in eggs is almost endless, as is the variety of ways to cook them. Whether they’re boiled, poached, fried, scrambled, steamed, baked, in an omelette, in a quiche or you’re brave enough to eat them raw, eggs are perfect at any time of the day. Our favourite tip is to keep a few hard-boiled eggs in the fridge – perfect post-workout or when you need an emergency snack.